Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dunedin and Wanaka

For one person, living is cheaper in Wanaka: $1,696 a month against $1,987 in Dunedin, rent and utilities included – about $3,500 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

96

Cost of Living Index in Dunedin
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Dunedin Living Index
81

Cost of Living Index in Wanaka
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Wanaka Living Index

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Dunedin

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$1,987

/mo nomad

Wanaka

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$1,696

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Dunedin and in Wanaka

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Dunedin and in Wanaka actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,987 in Dunedin versus $1,696 in Wanaka.

Dunedin $1,987
Wanaka $1,696

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,907 in Dunedin versus $2,695 in Wanaka.

Dunedin $2,907
Wanaka $2,695

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,828 in Dunedin versus $3,694 in Wanaka.

Dunedin $3,828
Wanaka $3,694

Living in Dunedin is roughly 17% more expensive than in Wanaka, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Dunedin 46% above, Wanaka 25% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.03 NZ$24.90

$13.97 NZ$24.80

0.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.0 NZ$110

$57.1 NZ$101

8.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.40 NZ$20.23

$8.60 NZ$15.28

32.56%

Cappuccino

$3.27 NZ$5.80

$3.03 NZ$5.38

7.92%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.07 NZ$3.68

$1.71 NZ$3.04

21.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 NZ$3.65

$1.91 NZ$3.38

7.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.73 NZ$11.95

$6.96 NZ$12.37

-3.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.16 NZ$10.94

$6.35 NZ$11.28

-2.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 NZ$3.81

$2.12 NZ$3.76

1.42%

White Bread (500g)

$1.99 NZ$3.54

$2.01 NZ$3.57

-1.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 NZ$3.13

$1.79 NZ$3.17

-1.68%

Eggs

$5.90 NZ$10.48

$6.00 NZ$10.65

-1.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.52 NZ$15.12

$8.51 NZ$15.10

0.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.21 NZ$16.36

$9.71 NZ$17.24

-5.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.72 NZ$29.68

$16.78 NZ$29.78

-0.36%

Apples (1kg)

$3.02 NZ$5.36

$2.90 NZ$5.15

4.14%

Banana (1kg)

$2.29 NZ$4.06

$2.14 NZ$3.79

7.01%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.27 NZ$5.80

$3.30 NZ$5.86

-0.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.13 NZ$9.11

$5.10 NZ$9.06

0.59%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 NZ$3.27

$1.89 NZ$3.36

-2.65%

Onion (1kg)

$1.87 NZ$3.33

$1.78 NZ$3.16

5.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.41 NZ$4.28

$2.28 NZ$4.05

5.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 NZ$1.07

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$20.90 NZ$37.11

$22.66 NZ$40.23

-7.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.01 NZ$16.00

$8.85 NZ$15.71

1.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.17 NZ$5.63

$3.15 NZ$5.59

0.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.26 NZ$2.23

$1.26 NZ$2.24

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.43 NZ$2.54

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$102 NZ$180

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.76 NZ$10.22

$5.83 NZ$10.34

-1.20%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.63 NZ$50.8

$28.08 NZ$49.85

1.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.77 NZ$3.14

$1.80 NZ$3.19

-1.67%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$28.2K NZ$50.1K

$28.6K NZ$50.8K

-1.41%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$23.5K NZ$41.7K

$23.0K NZ$40.9K

1.98%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$110 NZ$196

$112 NZ$200

-1.84%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$29.44 NZ$52.3

$29.42 NZ$52.2

0.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.3 NZ$92.8

$51.9 NZ$92.2

0.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.90 NZ$81.5

Cinema Ticket

$11.20 NZ$19.89

$11.57 NZ$20.54

-3.20%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$588 NZ$1,045

$601 NZ$1,068

-2.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.8 NZ$104

$59.9 NZ$106

-1.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.28 NZ$62.6

$35.14 NZ$62.4

0.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.3 NZ$162

$68.5 NZ$122

33.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$135 NZ$240

$73.9 NZ$131

82.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,013 NZ$1,798

$971 NZ$1,723

4.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$897 NZ$1,593

$806 NZ$1,430

11.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,632 NZ$2,897

$1,880 NZ$3,338

-13.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,358 NZ$2,410

$1,656 NZ$2,940

-18.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,641 NZ$10.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,273 NZ$4,035

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,464 NZ$4,374

$4,352 NZ$7,727

-43.39%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.07

76.75%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Dunedin: October 25, 2026

Last update for Wanaka: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Dunedin

$897 45.2%

Wanaka

$805 47.5% 10.2% $92

Groceries & Markets

Dunedin

$324 16.3%

Wanaka

$324 19.1% 0.2% $0.5

Eating Out

Dunedin

$248 12.5%

Wanaka

$236 13.9% 4.9% $12

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dunedin

$192 9.7%

Wanaka

$194 11.4% 0.9% $1.7

Clothing & Footwear

Dunedin

$144 7.3%

Wanaka

$107 6.3% 25.9% $37

Getting Around

Dunedin

$113 * 5.7%

Wanaka

$5.8 * 0.3% 94.8% $107

Sport & Entertainment

Dunedin

$68 3.4%

Wanaka

$23 * 1.4% 66.1% $45

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,013 in Dunedin and $971 in Wanaka. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Wanaka pays 77% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $62 in Dunedin vs $57 in Wanaka. Groceries flip the comparison at $324 vs $324, with Dunedin cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇳🇿 Dunedin

🇳🇿 Wanaka

🕒 Local time

14:43 2:43 PM

Same time as Dunedin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

105,000

11,600

💱 Currency

New Zealand Dollar NZD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 NZD = 0.563 USD

1 NZD = 0.504 EUR

1 NZD = 0.563 USD

1 NZD = 0.504 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Dunedin Wanaka 170 km

From you

Dunedin
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Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Dunedin vs Wanaka: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,987 in Dunedin and $1,696 in Wanaka, so Wanaka is about 15% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 43% lower in Dunedin. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,013 in Dunedin versus $971 in Wanaka. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $588 in Dunedin versus $601 in Wanaka. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

All in, you’ll spend $1,987 per month in Dunedin versus $1,696 in Wanaka – Wanaka is about 15% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Either city works on $2,500 a month, though Wanaka gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Dunedin and Wanaka are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.